Refrigerator



March 7, 1939.

9 R. JOHN ET AL REFRIGERATOR Filed Feb.l a, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mentalMaut- 19616l leli'prE-'tl'rJ OFFICE 2,150,064 q aEFaIGEnATon Bobex-6John, New Yori, N. Y., and Edmund n.. Boots, Short Hills, N. J.; saidJohn asaignor n sala B066;

Application February s, 1933,' semi No. 655,836

` s claims. ',(ci ez-ss) This invention relates tothe art of refrigera-Ition and has particular reference to refrigerators of the domestic typein which the temperature reduction of the food compartment is effectedby mechanical means. It is well known that a domestic refrigerator isopened very frequently :during the day which permits the entrance ofwarm air to-the confines of the cabinet which considerably lowers theefficiency of the rem frigerator.

An object of the invention is to provide a suitable storageplacefor'certain articlesot-food which do not require extreme cold fortheir preservation, said secondary vstorage compartment being separatefrom theprimary food compartment, and-to lprovide separate means of- Ireading of the following description in conjunction with the drawingsattached hereto andformy ing a part hereof in which:

Figure 1 isa perspective view. Figure 2 represents a fragmentaryhorizontal section.

Figure 3 is 'a vertical section of the inner door.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevation showing the hinge structure. i

Figure 5 is aneniarged fragmentary section of the latch mechanism.

Figure 6 is adetail view thereof.

Figure 7 is a'separate detail view. v

Figures 8 and 9 are detail views of an attachment which may be employedfor preventing the outside air from entering, therefrigerator when theauxiliary door is open. l

Referring now 'tothe drawings wherein like reference characters Arepresent corresponding parts, numeral I designates a cabinet of any de-.50 sirable kind having an evaporator 2 at any convenient piace therein.3 4is the primary door hinged, as at l, which is formed to define anauxiliary food` compartment 5 which may have shelves B` positionedtherein. 'Ihis primary door is adapted to receive and retain objectswhich do not require extreme cold for their preservation but which `dorequire freuent use by a housewife. y The inner wall of the door whichis represented by the referencenumeral 1 is provided with means forpermitting the circulation of cold air therethrough -which means maytake the form ofy a series ofY apertures 8 positioned at the top andbottom thereof and extending inwardly into the confines of the primaryfood compartment 9. When the primary .door is closedas shown in Figure2, the air may circulate upwardly through the door food compartment 5,and if desired, we may place apertures I0 in the food shelves 6. Theprimary door is provided with sealing means II for engaging thefrontl'wall ofthe refrigerator cabinet, as at I2. In order that the Wall1 of the primary door-mayserve as an insulator we coat the same withmetallic foil or. use a bright plating of any suitable metal, said foilor said metal having a high refractive power and indicated by 20reference numeral I 3.

A supplemental door for closing the auxiliary compartment, aforesaid, isprovided and is indicated generally by reference numeral I4.- Bothvdoors are hinged to the same pintle as shown in Figure 4. 'Ihissupplemental door I4 is lined on the inside with insulating materialsuch as paper or cork I5 and is provided with an intermediate sheetingof bright metallic foil I6 of high refractive power. The supplementaldoor also is pro- 30 vided with a rubber sealing strip I1 which fitsinto tight abutting relationship with the flange I9 of the inner primarydoor 1. Wehave provided a single latch actuating means'whereby a move-`ment 'in one direction will release the supple- 35 mental door I4whereby access may be had to the food compartment in the door withoutnecessitating the opening of the primary door which means when turned ina different direction actus ates the latch for the primary door so thatboth /4 the primary and secondary doors move outwardly as a unit topermit access to the main storage compartment.

'I'he latch mechanism comprises a keeper 23 secured to the wall I2 ofthe cabinet. A spring 45` 'rhe 50.

shaft 2l is provided with a rapid pitch thread 29 which engages asimilarly pitched internal thread orfthe handleshaft 30. The handle I0is connected to the supplemental door Il so that it may rotate withrespect to this door.

With both doors in their closed positions the threaded connectionbetween the shaft 25. and the handle 30 retains the supplemental door I4in its closed position. I'he bolt 24 retains the primary door in itsclosed position. To open the supplemental door, the handle I0 is rotatedto the right or clockwise to disconnect the threaded Joint between thehandle and the shaft 2l. When the handle 30 is rotated clockwise thepawl 28 engaging the notch 21 prevents clockwise rotation of the shaft25. With the handle 30 and shaft 25 connected, the bolt 24 may beretracted by rotation of the handle 30 in a counter-clockwise direction.t

It is obvious thatthe space between the inner wall of the primary doorand the supplemental door Il, aforesaid, is of sumcient depth toaccommodate bottles of milk, packages of butter, bacon and the like andthat the holes or apertures l, herein referred to, are suillcient topermit cold air-, l set up by the evaporator, to-enter the compartmentwithin the door at the top thereof to displace warmer air downwardly andoutwardly in the main food compartment of thev 'I'here is thus a,Kcirculation of air 4which necessitates an, increase of refrigerativesuch as butter, milk, eggs, bacon, etc., bringY about, by far. thegreatest percentage of door openings. Such articles donot requireextreme cold for their preservation and it is proposed under ourinvention to store them in the intramural space of our improved door.Such articles may be inserted and removed without .opening the completedouble door of the refrigerator whereby the energy required to keep themain food compartment at thedesirable temperature is materiallylessened; further such articles as are stored inv said intra-murallspace are conveniently displayed on their shelves, in full sight whenthe outer door is opened therebyl addin'g to the convenience of therefrigerator from the l users standpoint. Further by providinginsulating means as described we actually increase the storage space ofa refrigerator equipped with our improved door without reducing theeffectiveness of the insulation.

Further it will be Aunderstood'that instead of using apertures 8 intheshell'of the primary door, slots or other lforms of communication may beprovided for permitting the circulation of cold air into the doorcompartment from the' main cabinet compartment. Moreover, if desired,means may be provided for closing oif the apertures to preventcirculation of air throughthe compartment formed in the main door whenthe secondary door is opened thereby to prevent warm air from rushinginto the door compartment and from thence into the refrigerator cabinet.Such A means are roughly illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 and compriseshutter coveringsv 2l mounted von the main door and adapted to close theapertures By our invention the supplel 2| when the supplemental door i4is opened independently of the main door. A spring may be provided fornormally urging the shutters into their closed positions as shown inFigure- 9. When, however, the supplemental door is closed, as shown inFigure 8, the same engages the iinger 22 and swings the hinge shutter 20to the positon shown in Figure 8 whereby air is permitted to circulatein the manner above described. -1

Various changes may be made without departinstance, about two-thirds ofthe way across the y door and in staggered relation may be employed totake careI of ventilation. Thus it would allow for the shelf means toextend the full depth of the door, which isquite desirable. yOur claims,

may be physically expressed in various structural environments.

We claim:

1. A domestic refrigerator comprising a cabinet having a front openingformed therein anda door hinged to the cabinet for closing said opening,said door having an inner wall located within said cabinet and outwardlyextending end walls defining an open-faced. auxiliary food compartment.means for cooling said compartment and panel means for closing the'samefrom the outside, said last-named means being hingedly supported andcommon latching mechanism adapted to release either the panel or thedoor.

- 2. In arefrigerator, a cabinet having a back and side walls with anopening in the front Wall,

a. door hinged to the cabinet for closing said opening, said door beingshaped to provide an auxil- -iary food compartment andextending'substantially into the .cabinet through said opening, a paneladapted to be opened from the outside to expose said auxiliary foodcompartment, said panel and door being hinged on a common axis andlatching means permitting either the panel erable to permit the door andthe auxiliary food compartment to simultaneously move when access to thecabinet is desired.

4. A domestic refrigerator comprising a cabinet provided withcold-producing means situated therein which causes a. circulation of airtherein, a movable door, an auxiliary food compartment associatedtherewith, so constructed and arranged as to be affected by thecirculation of air within the cabinet, control instrumentalitiesoperable from the outside of the door for flxedly securing the auxiliaryfood compartment to the cabinet whereby the door may be opened to permitaccess to the food compartment'from the outvside'of the cabinet, saidcontrol instrumen-talities Aturbing the fixed relationship. of theauxiliaryfood compartment relative to the cabinet or opbeing alsooperable to release the ilxed position of the auxiliary food compartmentwith respect to the cabinet whereby the door and auxiliary foodcompartment may be both moved when access to the interior of the cabinetis desired.

5. A domestic refrigerator comprising"a cabinet provided withcold-producing means for causing a circulation of air therein, saidcabinet having an opening in one of its walls and a movable door torsaidA opening, an auxiliary food compartment associated with the door.for maintaining theauxiliary food compartment in a fixed positionrelative to the cabinet when the door is opened whereby access to thefood compartment can be obtained from the outside of f the auxiliaryfood compartment in nxed relation with respect to the cabinet wherebythe door may be opened to expose the auxiliary food com ment withoutdisturbing its closed position, said latching means being operable torelease the auxiliary food compartment and to permit it to be openedwhen access to the cabinet is desired.

securing means frame, pivoted closureV means '1. In a refrigerator, thecombination, with a casing having a cooling compartment and providedwith an opening in one wall forming the entrance to said compartment, ofan auxiliary compartment structure swinginsly mounted for movement intoor out ot said opening, said structure comprising a frame denning acooling space normally in communication with said compartment, an outerdoor movable with respect to said frame, pivoted closure means movableinto .one position to establish such communication and into anotherposition to interrupt the same. means urging the closure means to thesecond named position and means operated by the closing 4of said doori'or moving the closure means to the ilrst position.

8. In a refrigerator, the combination. with a casing having a coolingcompax'tl'nentI and provided with an opening in one wall forming theentrance to said compartment, ot au auxiliary compartment structureswinsinly mounted for movement into or 'out of said opening, saidstructure comprising a frame denning a cooling space normally incommunication with said compartment, an outer door movable with respectto said movable into one position to establish such communication andinto another position to interrupt the same, and means operated by theclosing of said door for moving the closure means to the nrst position.

ROBERT JOHN'. EDHUND. R. BOOTS.

